Is there an ideal body type? Body types and ideal body types are always changing. Standards of beauty vary from time period to time period. We even see that today. Different countries will often have different standards of beauty and looks.

The problem with these types of standards is that for many of us, they aren’t possible so we don’t even try. What is the use of being in shape if we will never reach a “standard” of perfection? We have to change our minds when it comes to this and it starts with us having the right attitude.

We are using the term “Beach Ready Body” and we want to explain what that means on today’s show.

A beach-ready body isn’t an ideal of perfection, as much as it is an individual goal for a person. It is a term we are using to focus on being healthy all the time and not just going on vacation when people will see us at the beach. We want to focus on living a lifestyle of healthiness which means at any time we could go to the beach. Our health should not be about an event but about a lifestyle journey.

Health Journey vs Health Target

• The process of living healthy starts with us seeing the process as a journey and not just a target.
• Everyday habits and choices are the key to sustained success in health

The Journey of Identity

• The journey of health is a journey of identity.
• Too many of us struggle to see ourselves as a “healthy” person.
• We see our flaws and screw-ups and often give up before the payoff happens
• Our identity has to change if we are going to see long-term sustained success.

Healthy Doesn’t Mean Health Nut

• One thing that turns many of us off from health is the health nuts
• People who act like that are just wanting the attention.
• We want to walk the health journey because it’s what is best for us and our family
• We want to be good stewards of our bodies.

The Biggest Battle of Having a Beach-Ready Body

• The top thing that stops us from the body and health we want: Giving Up.
• People often give up because they have “tried” through the years.
• We start excusing our unhealthiness and justifying our lack of effort
• We can’t expect short-term fixes to solve long-term problems.

Can I Still Enjoy Food?

• This is a big part of why so many of us don’t build healthy habits. We think it means we can’t enjoy our food anymore.
• Living healthy can help us enjoy our food more.
• We don’t just accept anything to eat. We learn to enjoy food that is really good instead of whatever is available.
• We don’t have to be obsessed with food to enjoy food. We can enjoy it and still live a healthy life. We just have to keep food in its proper place.
• Food doesn’t fix things and shouldn’t be a source of comfort.
• We should enjoy food but not expect our food to fix emotional issues in our lives.

The Upfront Movement

• We have to be honest: Getting started will be hard!
• Mindsets take time to change.
• We have to focus on the reality of why being healthy matters.
• It is an uphill battle

Personal Grace for the Beach-Ready Body

• When we decide to go on a journey toward healthiness, remember that it takes time.
• Health isn’t a streak you maintain. Messing up once doesn’t end your healthy life!
• We will go through different seasons where we focus on physical health and some seasons where we are looking at other areas.

Mental Tip: Look for the Best Option

• There are times when we go to an event and there isn’t anything super healthy that is offered to us, so what do we do? Binge Out???
• Try to go with the best options that is there and don’t give yourself an excuse to binge out.
• We don’t live in a perfect world and we shouldn’t expect other people to change how they eat just for us.
• We should be as proactive as possible, but when we are in situations like this, just pick the best options that is there.

Mental Tip: Always Learning

• James Clear has a great quote, “Never miss twice.” This means that if we make a mistake, we should learn from it and not make the same mistake.
• We have to keep our minds in a state of constant learning.
• Each one of us are individuals and we all have things that work better for us that may not work for everyone else.
• Learn what those things are.
• We can’t expect to change everything overnight, but we can change everything over time if we are willing to learn.

CHALLENGE:

Beach Ready Body Challenge

Our challenge is to start with a series of questions about where you are at and where you want to go.

These questions should help you figure out where your mind is at and what changes you will need to make to start your healthy journey.

• Do you see yourself as a healthy person? Why or why not?
• Have you tried in the past to be healthier (lose weight, get in shape, etc….) only to fail and now you don’t even try?
• What excuses do you use to not live healthier?
• Do you use food to medicate other things? (loneliness, boredom, anger, etc….)
• What is the hardest thing about starting a healthy journey for you?
• Do you think one of the reasons it is so hard is because you hold yourself to an unrealistic standard of perfection?

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